Noninvasive evaluation of left ventricular performance by the shortest distance between mitral leaflets coaptation and interventricular septum at end‐systole

We attempted to evaluate left ventricular performance from the shortest distance between the mitral leaflets coaptation and the interventricular septum at endsystole (MVC‐IVS distance). The subjects were 37 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) with prior myocardial infarction (MI), 8 with CAD without prior MI, 22 with atypical chest pain, and 4 with aortic regurgitation. The MVC‐IVS distance was measured on a two‐dimensional echocardiogram obtained from the parasternal or apical long‐axis view and frozen at end‐systole. Left ventricular end‐systolic volume and end‐diastolic volume were obtained by left ventriculography, and the left ventricular ejection fraction was calculated. A significant positive correlation was observed between the MVC‐IVS distance and the end‐systolic volume (r=0.83, p